fancied the children laughed to themselves
when he passed.

He was roused from these sad thoughts by something coming sharply
against the window. He listened, and the sound was repeated again.
Someone was throwing stones at the glass. Who could it be? and what
could they want at that hour?

Stretching out his hand for his crutch, he moved softly across the room
and peered out. There was just enough light to enable him to see a boat
moored to the steps which ran up to the gate. He opened the window
gently, and was about to speak when he heard the clockmaker's voice
saying cautiously, 'Is that you, Captain?'

Ulrich knew then that the stranger had struck his window by mistake;
clearly it was the guard-room window he had aimed at, and if that were
so, why had the stranger chosen the very night that his father was away,
and how did Oscar know him? As quickly as he could he put out his lamp
and listened breathlessly. Oscar was speaking again.

'All is going well--better than I dared to hope. The fools think I am as
loyal as themselves, and they have left me to guard the gate. The
council will not be over till near midnight, and in half an hour the
moon will be gone. I will open the gate when it is quite dark and admit
your men, and the game will then be in our own hands.'

'You are a good fellow, Oscar, and shall be remembered,' replied the
stranger. 'To-morrow, when the town is ours, your name shall be on every
one's lips, and your pockets shall be filled with gold.'

He then turned back to his boat, and Ulrich leant back in his chair sick
with horror. To think that here, in his father's house, sat a traitor,
and that unless help came soon the town would be lost!

What could he do? It was useless for him to crawl downstairs and
confront Oscar. He had only to carry him back to his room and lock the
door to ensure safety. It was no less useless to cry for help, for a
long row of warehouses separated the guard-room from any other dwelling.
Oh! if he had only been like other boys, how easily he could have
stolen downstairs, and rushed to the Town Hall and given the alarm! It
seemed absolutely impossible for him to do it as he was. He had never
gone downstairs alone in his life; his father had always been there to
help him; even if he managed to crawl down he could not take his crutch
with him, and he could not walk without it. No, clearly it was
impossible.

And yet, as the slow minutes dragged away, and as he thought